Why Did You Quit What You Love?

I was recently thinking about how grateful I am to be a surfer, and I cannot imagine where I would be if surfing never found me. For all I know, I could have been a pickleballer. Nothing wrong with that. It’s just not surfing ;)

I lived and breathed surfing as a kid.

I started surfing when I was 10. Then around 16, I stepped away for a couple of years. I got a girlfriend, started running with a different crowd, and I was getting in trouble and making a lot of not so wise decisions.

But the ocean never left.

Surfing was always there, like a quiet friend that does not lecture you, just waits for you to come back.

At some point, I came to my senses. I started surfing again, and I walked away from the people and situations that were pulling me in the wrong direction. Surfing has a way of doing that for me. It brings me back. Even to this day, when I am feeling off, grumpy, or I need clarity, a surf session resets me. It grounds me. Ask Kelly. She is the first one to make sure I get my surf sessions in because she knows it does wonders for me, along with some prayer.

Thankful that Kelly is so supportive of my surfing habit

They say life is better when you surf, and I believe that. Some people run to clear their mind and take care of their body. Surfing is that for me. When I do not surf for a while, I feel it. I start to drift. And I am not myself, because I am not in alignment with who I truly am.

Because the things we loved when we were younger are often the same things that keep us young.

And I think that happens to a lot of us.

Maybe you grew up doing something you loved, something that made you feel alive. Then life started to happen. Work. Family. Responsibilities. And little by little, you stopped doing the thing that brought you joy. Now the days feel heavy. Life feels like a grind. Motivation disappears. That is usually a sign you are out of alignment with who you really are.

I hear it all the time, mostly from dads. “I used to skateboard.” “I used to surf. I loved it. I miss it.” And I always ask the same question.

Why did you quit?

The answers are usually the same. I got married. I had a kid. I work 60 hours a week. I am too fat. I am too old.

.

But honestly, those are the exact reasons to go back.

Go back so you can be a better husband. A better dad. A better employee. Go back so you can feel strong again. So you can feel clear again. So you can feel young again.

Because the things we loved when we were younger are often the same things that keep us young.

You only get one shot at this life. Make it a life you love.

You have a choice.